Method of manufacture of lumber and apparatus for effecting the same



Sept. 1, .925 1,551,964

H. s. MITCHELL METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF LUMBER AND APPARATUS. FOR EFFECTING' THE SAME Fi1ed"Dec. 1922 :3 Sheets-Sheet 1 VVWL Q57. W

1,551,964 H. s. MITCHELL .METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF LUMBER AND AIPARATU'SFOR EFFECTING THE SAME Filed Dec. 12. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 um L i J AVE/ENTOII';

f rrofiuvrys.

H. s. MITCHELL METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF LUMBER AND APPARATUS FOR EFF ECTING THE SAME Filed Dec. 12

, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet [N VENT "I' p 1, 92 H. S. MITCHELL METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF LUMBER AND APPARATUS FOR EFFEG-TXNG Filed Dec. 12. 1922 4a EShWts- Shest THE SAME 5 3 Mam/7 m Patented Sept. 1, 1925.

, UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE HENRY S. MITCHELL, 0F PORTLAND, OREGON.

METHOD 0J3 MANUFACTURE OF LUMBER AND APPARATUS FOR THE SAME.

Application filed December 12, Serial No. 606,429.

first, through the production of saving in the working up of the slab cuts of a log, and, second, in the elimination of injurious wear on saws which, in accordance with usual methods hitherto employed, occurs therein in consequence of the necessity of cutting through the outside of the bark of a log. It is recoguiz ,1 that the outside cuts of a log yield the best quality of lumber. Consequently, in cutting a log into lumber it is considered desirable to square it to the largest praci'cable transverse dimensions. In order to do so it is often necessary to saw through col'isiderable stretches of bark, with the well known result of injury to the saw.

My invention consists, in part, in first separating a length of wood from a log, and then workingit into lumber from the inside outwardly, and by a method which provides always clean wood in which the suns or cut ters work. It would be practicable to work up an entire log into lumber according to my process, by Iii-st splitting a log longitudinally into halves and afterwards Workingr up each hail", separately.

In practice, however, I prefer to square a log by a head saw in the usual way, and afterwards to apply my inventionto the working up of the slabs remaining from the operation of squaring the log. It shouid be observed that ii. the subsequent application of my invention to the working up of the slahwood be contemplated, it becomes Wholly unnecessary to take into account in the direc. tion of the head saw, anything except the available transversedu'nensions of the small end of the log, and to out the log, in the first instance, accordingly.) The reason is that by the use of my invention there is substantially none of the lumber in the slab lost, and consequently an economical reason for minimizing the slabwood in operating the head saw is eliminated.

The result arrived at through the employmentof my invention is again. of an economy of time in the operation of the head saw, and an additional. gain through savin of wear on the saws by reduction of thethickness of bar to. be out, together with a material saving of lumber and eeonoin of production obtainable over other metho s.

In the carrying of my'proces's into effect, I prefer to employ the form of apparatus hereinafter illustrated and described, the

same being a res'awing and edging machine whose principle of operation is novel and which is devised to conform to the require .ments of my process, as will be hereinafter fully and at large set forth. i

What constitutes my invention will be r hereinafter described in detail and succinctly set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I illustrate apparatus comprehended by my invention in its present preferred form of embodiment,

Figure I is an elevation of one side of my machine.

Figure II is a longitudinal horizontal'section of the sub ect matter of Figure 1, taken as on the line II II of Figure 1;

Figure III is a vertical section of the suit ject matter of Figure II taken as on the line III-III of Figure II.

Figure IV is a transverse vertical section of the subject matter of Figure II, taken on the line IV-IV of Figure II."

Figure V isa top plan view of the sub- JGCt matter of Figure 1, down to line II-II. Figure VI is a transverse vertical section of the-subject matter of Figure I, taken as on the line VL-VI thereof.

Figure VII is a die ramrnatical figure i1- lustrative of the fiiet 0d of manufacture comprehended by my invention, showing as in cross section a slab cut from a log, and

showing my method of working, wholly from the inside of the slab, the wood thereof intomerchantable lumber.

Figure VIII is a side elevation of a portion oi a nest of saws detached.

Figure l is a view taken at right angles to that of Figure VH1 of a nestof sews detschcd.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 indicate (see Figure l) a series of frame sections, of which each ,ction is the counterpart of another, with the advantage secured thereby of being able ndeiinitely to extend the lengsh of the entire composite fr ine simply by the addition of a single -11 or as many may be rcquired, Gonvenieut means of assemblage of the frame sections may be provided in cheek flanges upon abutting edges of the sections and 1n bolts or rivets 8 which serve to unite them together. The frame sections formed and united substantially as de-' scribed, constitute the preferred "form of one bodizneut of the mainframe of my machine.

Longitudinally disposed to the frame and extending substantially throughout its entire ierigth between the main sides of the sections which coust Jtiifi itis a vertically edg'ustablc frame 9 which is supported at 'stervols by bell-crack levers pivotally secured, respectively, at their elbows- 10 to sections of the main frame, and each huvin one arm 11 opcmtiveiy pivoted, usthroug h an intermodiate link 12, to the frume 9. Each remaining urm let of each of said bell-crank levers is pivoted, as indicated at 15, to a rod 16, extended longitudinally a, little beyond the entire length of the main frame (compare Figures Li and H}, e 7

At the iii-iced end of the main frame, namely, the end to the left as shown in Figure 1 of the drswingsflhe rod 16 is pivotally joined indicated at 17, to a hand lever 18, Whose lower end is pivoted, as indicated at 19, to a frame 20 which is fixed to the floor upon which the main frame of the machine finds "support. The lever 18 carries means for adjusting it in diil'erentpositions, preferably, for example, i latch 21 WhOSQ, latch member takes into theinotches 22 of a notched quadrant on the frame 20, lever 18., being;' preferably of the fumiliur type illustrated and just described in general terms, is adopted through its manipulation at the hand of an operative to import long tudinsl n'iovomcnt to the rod 16 Which automsticell so through the means describe-d, convcrtsitseli into corresponding vertical ad'ustment of the frame 9.

Quid frame, being; provided, as is well shown in Figure VI, for'cxample, with 'trzmsverse teed rolls 25 carried in suitable pillow blo 53G distributed in pairs st rs quired intervals, affords; support for the stock or material to be out during its passage longitudimlly through the inechinc; and its vertical ndjustmens named at the end of the dust preceding paragraph affords to such stock e means of coarse adjustment or -25 presentation to the voperatic-n of the machine.

The

assesses The vertical adjustment indicated may be imported to the stock as a Whole and m 2L single operatlon, upon each occasion, by manipulation of the lever 18. The adjective coarse is applied to it byway of distinction from other and finer adjustments relugeared together through the mediation of adriven shaft 27 (see for'cxcmpie, Figure 1), preferably extending'a' little beyond the 0pposite ends of the main frame and rotatable in suitable bearings provided for it thereon. Tosuid shaft each 1 011 25 is opcratively united as by a train of gears, represented by bevel gears 30 and'Sl on the roll and shaft, respectively, and ah intermediate shaft 33, said shaft being provided at its opposite ends, respectively, with bevel gears 34 and 35, which respe ively intermesh with the gears 30 and 31 are: i

Above each one of certain ofthc feed rolls 25, in accordance with usual machine shop practice "which is so usual us to be unnecessary to specify in greater detail, I provide u compressor roll 38 Whose weight may be sufiicient to holdto its place upon the rolls 25 the stock to be cut during its passage through the combine, suitable and usual means being provided for guiding the said stock through the machine in a true longitudinal course. Each roll 38 is'preferubiy provided with a shaft 39 carried in journals 40 and 41., respectively,provided near the free ends of supporting arms 42 and 4,3 hinged, respectively, to across axle 45 on the main frame. The shaft l5 'ispro'vided with a toothed sector 46 united to it. The teeth of each sector 46 mesh with a, rack 47 on a piston rod 48 Whose piston isopratively encased and concealed by thcwalls of a. steam or air cylind r 50.

The function of the several cylinders 50 is, by aid of their respective pistons, tr 5%; in manner or order preferred the Weight of the rolls 38 as often as occasion may requi end is one so well understood in the general tion to that art consists in the main, in the provision,in such a machine, for example,

as I have hitherto described, of a certa n-i succession of cuttmg instrumcntahtles; and in the provision of means for effectively rc;-

senting the same to the stock to be cut me definite order of succession and m such a predeterminste relationship thereto as will effect the result desired. It is in respect. 'to the mode and order of the subjection of the stock to be cut to different cutting operations, that my ini ention constitutes an improved method in the manufacture of lumber.

The instrumentalities 'contemplated in the last paragraph preferably include a plurality of transversely adjustable nests of cutters 51 and 52; a plurality of transversely and vertically adjustable blades 53 of which four are illustrated; and a saw 54, preferably a hand saw, whose cutting portion is dis-posed in a definitely fixed plane with respect to which. the vertical location of the cutters 51 and 52 and of the blades 53, respectively, is referred.

' Each nest of cutters, indicated, respectively, by the numerals 51 and 52, consists, preferably, of a plurality of circular saw blades set side by side with a suitable spacing washer between, the whole number of each nest being assembled as a unit upon, a

sleeve. as by aid of collars 59 and 60 thereon. The sleeve carrying the circular saw blades is sphned or in some like manner operatirely attached to a preferablyhori-f zontal shaft .61, upon which it may be longitudinally shifted as .by means of a bifurcated arm 62 whichstraddles and, -as by means ot' diametrically opposite pins 63 carried by said arm, makes engagement with the collar (30 which is grooved for accommodation of the said pins. .The arm 62 (see Figure HI) lever 65 which is secured at its end opposite that: which carries the arm 62 to a rock shaft (5-6 that ismounted in suitable bearings 67 fixed to the floor upon which the machine installed. The shaft 66' is adapted to be oscillated in opposite directions as by a'lever handle 68 fixed to it at one end and working with adjustable control in operative proximity to a frame 70 proi'ided for the purpose.

. When the nest of cutters is made, as preferably it is, of an assemblage of saw blades,

ear-h tooth of each blade disaligned from the corresponding tooth art the next adjac nt blade as shown-in Figures VIII and IX of the drawing. By this arrangement the lateral spread of each tooth finds ample aceonunodation; the combined cutting edge of all the companion teethis unified in ell'ect: and the power necessary to drive each nest. of cutters is reduced because the teeth of the nest attack the Work presented to them one at a time in succession and not all together simultaneously. The result is a smooth even out without any injurious s ,ock or jar to the machine when the nest cutters Pi] and 52 are put into a.ction.' The shaft (31 derives rotative motion as from a:

belt, pulley 71 secured toone end of it, as shown, for example, in Figure II,

is terminally disposed upon a,

Each of the blades 53 is preferably a circular saw blade and is carried in a transversely split hub 7 3 which, when its parts are united, is, in effect, splined to a horizontal shaft or saw arbor 74, adapted to be driven as by a pulley. 75 secured to one end of it (see Figure II Each of the blades 53 rotates between guide fingers 76 on a bracket-arm 77, that is fixed toa rack 78 which is in engagement with a pinion 79. Through rotation of a pinion/(9 longitudinal motion is imparted to therack 78 with which it engages, with the effect of shifting-the position on the shaft 74 of-that blade 53 with which the fingers of the bracket-arm 77 that is at: tached'to the rack last (Compare Figures II, IILand IV.)

To accommodate the four blades 53 illus trated,'four racks 78 and four pinions 79 are required, one rack for each blade and indicated engage.

one pinion for each raclnbut the number of racks and pinion's may ary with the number ofthe blades It is deemed to be unnecessary to designate the several pinions by separate reference numerals, but to be sufficient to specifythat the pinions 79 are preferably disposed in pairs as shown, for example, in Figure III, and that one pinion of each pair is actuated-preferably by a shaft 80 which is coaxial to a hollow shaft 81 which actuates the. other one of the pair of pinions. 4

- The shafts 80 and 81 are provided, respectively,

at the in-feed end of the machine with hand Wheels 83 and 84, by which the operator in control of the machine may,-fro m a fixed station or point ot control, set the bladles 53 at any place of adjustment clesirer.

The saw 54. as has been specified is preferably a band saw but that form of saw is preferred only because that is at present deemed a most convenient form for the purpose in \'l(W. It is illustrated as carried upon pulleys S5 an'dSfi mounted at opposite ends of a ress-mere 87 and has for its workingstretch or cutting portion 88 the lowermost. reach of it between the said pulleys. It may be observed in this eonnection that such an arralul'euu'uit is wholly conventional. and that by merely lowering the disposition of (he renters of the said pulleys and by lfifiplnt' l'lll. saw around a portion of the main trameQtbe upper reach of the baud Saar F14 may be substituted for the lower reach thereof as its Working,

stretch. In Figure I, I illustrate a shaft 90 and its bearing support 91 For the driving pulley 855 of the band saw 54, the shalt 90 being provided with a belt pulley flii for driving said shaft. I

The horizontal shaft 74- which carries thebludes 53 is made Vertically adjustable. To that end, for emunple, its opposite ends are ei l mounted, respectively, in paraliei side bars 95, each of which is pivoted afione end to be main frame of the machine as indicated by the numeral 96 (Fig. I). The free end of each of die sidebars is operac-iveiy oined, in effect, as indicated. a697, to one end. of a link S8, Whose other end is joined, in like inannei" as indicated at 99, to one arm of a hell-crank lever 100, pivoted at its angle, as indicated at 101, to the main frame of {nen'iachine. The arm of the lever 100 other than that last described is opefativeiy connected as indicated at 103 coa rod which ieacis from (he point 103 to the intake end of the machine where-it makes operafiive connection-with a latch-controlled iBVQI' 105, which preferably depends from a gi otal support 106 on the main frame of ihe ma chin-e and whose latch, for purposes ad jns'tinenu, takes into the notche$ of a notched quadrant 107.

In this connectio'a it may be observed that the manipulative ci'gi ntroi of aii the ooerations of the machine is preferably piaceii Within easy ieaci'i of an operator stationed adjacent to the lever 105, for instance.

The operation of mymachine and the eiescription of my invention, in selfar as it cens bitutes an improvement in the art proper oi? lnamifacturing lumber, remain to he set fort-i Proceeding towards that and, let it he assumed that the Sawyer in charge, after taking {111% account the dimensions of a piecestock to be out; adjusts the mine 9 to the height desired, said stock, as sheen for emmpie in Figure VII, being laid upon the roiis 25 with its face A a do 'nwar liy iisposeii horizontal position, ii; is afterwards firmly and securely held, by action of ihe compression i'oiis, in (he same position throughout i158 run through the machinqand aii cutting perations upon it are made from) heiow. This is an important feature and constitutes in itself a valuabie contribution t the art, in that ii; promotes a ('iisi inct economy both in the saving of wear and fear on the machine, and ah I 9; of iumher in the cut.

. cecdiug with the description of the process comprehende i my invention, after the 'sxock is secured in proper position on the i'oiis 25 and is confined iz-hereinby cooperation with said rolls of the COITIPTBE- sion i'oiis 38 or preparatory to such eoninement adjustment of the nesis of cutters 51----52 is made to meet rcquirements, through manipulation of the level: 68. Said era-tiers being; properly set with respect to the stock to be eui; their actuation results in an edging operation performed. upon the slab illustrated in Fi me VI mud eiie'ln s operation consists in. cutting away 'boiiiiy each lower corner 13 and G of the shin a predetermined extent indicated my the lines melee i a and I) reap lines a and Z1 a hransvei'se sireicn of good Wood along an ii'na inai'y line D which, by way of exai'npie, repi'esen'ts a Sci 1* c mg cut paraiiei eke face A. to he made suhsequentiy to the cues made along E'zhe iines (i am} Z in he edging operation above referred to. Lei: it i' i i that the said. edging operation pertfoi by the cutt rs Sh--52 Working from the 21-: out wa'z'diy through the hark of? the log inciicateci by The resuii; istones, grit, or ofhcy substance Wh iiheiy to he present in The ban and which ordinai'iiy mini to break 01 injure the or cutters while ab Work in hark, oppose the method empioy only a uegii degree of resistance iZO the opcraicn o ,cuiter, in t'hafl said operation tendsto ii them oii iastezui of to procucethe yes-nit oi catching and dra'viir-g them towel-(is til cuier {0 its i2"- V which resuib i-hc usual nicthmi of W0! .4 ihrough the hack in wardi produces.

Following ugwcn the edging aforesaid, pi'oi'i: "on is next: made o ti yer in charge of ihe machine 91' Tip ingthe l'flfiiChfdllifiiiif. tutorial whici'i extends iongitmhnaiiy oi the eiah as shown 1111" example in Figure VII between lines (I and Z. To that and he sets the saws 53. or as many of them as he to brim into requisition, at the a v encahe desires upon the shaft; 7 1-. i vzng done so" say as by me.- nipuiatioin primarily; of hand Wiiecis he aceurai-eiy gauges the cut of the sairi saws so tha; i side the imaginary iin observed the"; L

\ iii reac the lower.

.4, it snuii preview eat ng ope:

.-.' zhfl" US- none are pei'ioimec and iigm. angles '50 the par-aiiei iuxtaposn n to the line D a plane my face on the un crsim of the remaining uncuasiab corresponding to the face A. ah'ea d described.

1 eiears the bami-sa'w 54., van 11 from the originai the line D are taken in 'e to be conveyed a of ihe alah, if any,

i no iii machine 53:21

the out a the remnant any suit; hie co i 222513 of the Reefs. cut by ihc iii? ' saws 53 is entirely with n the control of the Sawyer in charge of El e machine, it is feasibio for him, if he nds he may do so to advantage, to change, at anytime, to the vertical adjustmentof the frame 9 and in that way to vary, if he so desires, the cut of the saws 53' so as to produce a broadside cut and, thereby to make the band-saw .54, in effect, the edge cutter.

What I claim is: 1. That improvement in the art of manu-,

facturing lumber which consists in first re- 1nov1ng.,the opposite thin edges of a barkcovered length of slabwood by substantially parallel edge cuts formed so as to sever the bark progressively from the inside to the outer surface thereof, and afterwards severing a thickness of the clean woodxexposed between said edge cuts by a transverse cut made through that portion of the wood that is exposed between said edges inside the bark.

v That improvement in theart of manufacturing lumber which consists in successively reducing a length of slabwood by edge cuttings made so as to cut the bark pro gressively from the inner'to the outer surface thereof and to expose with each edge cutting a thickness of'clean wood with the bark removed, from both edges and after each edge cutting severing by a transverse cut made through the wood exposed asaforesaid. i

3. The improvement in the artof manufacturing lumberfrom slabs, which consists in con'iminuting the edge portions of a slab, and then severing from the slab a section, the edges of which have been freed from bark by said comminuting operation.

4. In a machine for the manufacture of lumber, the combination with a main frame, a vertically adjustable stock-supporting frame therein, and means for feeding stock to be out lengthwise thereof, of a driven shaft operative'lymo-unted in the main frame independently of I the stock-supporting frame, said shaft extending transversely of the stock-supporting frame between the ends of said frame, a plurality of rossing'instrumentalities on said shaft and driven by it,

and means for operably adjusting said instrumentalities lengthwise of said shaft to varythe distance separating them.-

-5. In a machine for removing the edges of slabs by comminutingthem, the combina-- tion with a main frame, a vertically adjustable stock-supportin frame therein, and

means for feeding stoc'to be cut length wise thereof, of a driven shaft operatively mounted in the main frame and extending across the stoclcsupporting frame between the-ends thereof, a plurality of cutting instrumentalitics on said shaft and driven by 'it, and means for operably adjusting said inst'rumentalities lengthwise of said shaft, said instrumentalities consisting each of a nest of saws whereof each is operative as a cutting unit.

(3. In a machine for removing the edges of slabs by comminut ng them, the combination with a main frame, a vertically adjustable stock-supporting-frame therein, and means for feeding stock to be cut lengthwise thereof, of a. driven shaft operatively mounted in the main frame and extending across the stoc ri-supporting frame between the ends thereof, a plurality of cutting instrumentali'ties on said shaft and driven; by it, and means for operably adjusting said instrunientalities lengthwise of said shaft, said instrun'ientalitics consisting each of a nest of saws, each nest being operative as a cutting unit, and the teeth of each saw-blade of a nest being disaligued from that of its next neighbor.

7. In a machine for removing the edges 1 of slabs by comminuting them, the combination with a main frame, a vertically adjustable stock-supporting frame therein, and means for feeding stock to be cut lengthwise thereof, of a driven shaft extending across the stock-supporting frame between the ends thereof, a plurality of cutting instrumentalities on said shaft and driven by it, and means for operably adjusting said instrumentalities lengthwise of said shaft, said instrul'nentalities consisting each of a nest of saws, each nest being operative as a cutting unit, and the teeth of each saw blade of a nest being disal igned from that of its next nei hbor in successive order of arrangement su stantially as specified. v v 8. In a machine for the manufacture of lumber, the combination with. means for supporting a slab and feeding the same longitudinally, of rossing means adapted to remove bark from opposite edges of the slab I edges of the slab, by cuts extending out Ward'thro-ugh the bark, as the slab moves longitudinally, and means for severing from the slab'a section from the edges of which the bark has been thus removed.

10. Ina machine for the manufacture of lumber, the combination with means for,

supporting a slab and feeding the some longitudinally, of rossing means adapted to remove bark from opposite edges of the slab as it moves longitudinally, by cutting outward toward the bark, and a transverse cutter for severing from the slab a section of less thickness than that which has been freed. of bark by said rossing means.

11. In a machine for the manufacture of lumber, the combination with means for supporting a slab with its sawed face down means adapted to remove hark from bothf edges of the sleo by cutting outward, through the bark, cutters acting to fern: longitudinally extending kerfs in the lower face of'the slab, and a, transverse cutter adapted to sever from the slab the sections separated by the last said cutters,

' 13. In a, machine for the manufacture lumber, the combination with a main it re a, vertically adjustable stoclr supp rting frame therein, and means for :teeding stocii L ii i right angles to the cut of said cuttinginstrumentelities.

' 14. In a machine for the manufacture of lumber, the combination with main frume, a vertically adjustable stock-supporting frame therein, and. means for feeding stock" to he cut lengthwise thereof, a. driven. shaft extending trzmsversely-of the stock-support ing frame, a plurality of rossing instrumentelities on said shaft and driven by it, and means for operabiy adjusting stridinstmmentalities lengthwise of said shaft; oi another driven shaft also extending trans versely of the stoclrsupporting frame, a plurulity of blades on. said last named shaft and driven by it, means for independently adjusting said blades longitudinally of the shaft which carries them, and a driven sew .lade operatively disposed so as to out at right angles to said .'.oledes lost named and in a, plane peraliel to end determinable by the vertical adjustment of the stock-supporting frame. c

In. testimony whereof, l'have hereunto my 4nd.

HENRY AHTCHELL; 

